The Black Crowes were in a flightless funk for the past decade-plus. I saw 'em at the Ford Amphitheatre two years ago, and it was a psychedelic snooze-fest. The once-fierce Southern rock 'n' roll outfit responsible for the excellently gruff 1990 album, Shake Your Moneymaker, had sunk into a jam-band purple haze of rudder-less rambling and unnecessary noodling. The brawling Robinson brothers just couldn't get their shit together — until this year. The Crowes revisit past glories with Warpaint, a wonderfully savage new album overflowing with heavy blues and deep-fried rock. The band's secret weapon? Slide guitar superstar Luther Dickinson, of the North Mississippi Allstars. He laces the new disc with smokin', tasty licks, which he will also deliver on stage. He's a full-time Crowe for this tour.
The Black Crowes w/Buffalo Killers, 8 p.m. Mon., Nov. 10, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, $37.50, $45.50.
